Electronic equipment racks commonly consist of rectangular or box-shaped housings or rack structures. Electronic equipment is commonly mountable in such racks so that the various electronic components are aligned vertically one on top of the other in the rack. Often, multiple racks are oriented side-by-side, with each rack containing numerous electronic components and having substantial quantities of associated component wiring located both within and outside of the area occupied by the racks.
Power distribution units have long been utilized to supply power to the equipment in such racks. Power distribution units have also been designed to allow a user to remotely monitor and control the power distribution unit or devices attached to the power distribution unit. Examples of such power distribution units can be found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,506,573, 5,949,947, and 6,711,613.
One particularly common such power distribution unit consists of an elongated box housing that has one or more power inputs penetrating the housing and a number of power outputs extending along the longitudinal face of the unit. This power distribution unit is designed to mount vertically adjacent or secured to the external rear side of a rack. In this fashion, the power supplied to the unit is then distributed through horizontally extending power outputs to the, typically, horizontally co-aligned electronic components mounted in the rack. An example of such a prior power distribution unit is sold under the trademark POWER TOWER by Server Technology, Inc., of Reno, Nev.
As previously stated, each power distribution unit typically contains a number of power outputs and at least one power input. The power distribution units may also contain other electronic components, such as fuses and monitoring devices. Typically, all of these electronic components must be wired together, which can create numerous problems and inefficiencies.
One such problem is that the size of the electronic components and the associated wiring may limit the dimensions and shape of the housing. A housing having a certain minimum size usually is required merely to hold the electronic components and wiring of the power distribution unit. The size of the housing can limit the locations in which the power distribution unit can be mounted. For example, the power distribution unit may be too large for certain spaces. The size of the components and wiring may limit how many and what kind of components can be included in a power distribution unit. The housing typically must be sized such that the various electronic components do not make undesired contact with each other.
Another problem with such prior art power distribution units is that they often require substantial time and effort to assemble because each electronic component is typically individually mounted in the housing. Furthermore, each electronic component is typically individually wired with line, neutral, and ground connections. The cost to build such power distribution units may be influenced by material costs that are partially determined by factors such as the size of the housing, the amount of wiring in each power distribution unit, and the amount of other materials, such as solder, needed to assemble each power distribution unit. In addition to possibly requiring greater assembly time, the numerous parts and connections in typical prior art power distribution units may result in a greater number of errors during the manufacturing process or a greater chance of equipment failure once the power distribution units are in use.
Another problem with some prior art power distribution units stems from the fuses or other devices that are typically used to protect the power distribution unit and attached electronic devices against current fluctuations. Often, the fuses may only be checked and replaced by removing the power distribution unit from a rack and opening the power distribution unit. In addition to possibly being time consuming and labor intensive, opening up the unit may violate a warranty on the unit.
Many standards setting organizations, certifying bodies, and codes are requiring branched circuit protection. That is, power outlets may be arranged in groups or “branches,” each of which must be separately fused. Branched circuit protection may result in an increased number of fuses in each power distribution unit, thus potentially increasing the size of, and the amount of wiring in, the power distribution unit.